House Republicans have launched an investigation into New Jersey's voter registration practices after Governor Mikie Sherrill disclosed that approximately 6,600 noncitizens were mistakenly added to the state's voter rolls between June 2023 and June 2024.
Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, and Committee on House Administration Chairman Bryan Steil, R-Wis., sent a letter to New Jersey Lt. Governor Dale Caldwell seeking information regarding the state's adherence to federal voting laws. The representatives expressed concerns over the addition of noncitizens to the rolls and requested details on how New Jersey complies with the Help America Vote Act of 2002, the National Voter Registration Act of 1993, and the Civil Rights Act of 1960.
According to the letter from Jordan and Steil, Governor Sherrill attributed the error to a "serious software error" in the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission (MVC) system. Sherrill stated that information from noncitizens who had indicated they were not citizens was sent to the Division of Elections, leading to their registration. Approximately 400 of these individuals reportedly cast votes in elections since 2023.
However, the vendor that provided the software, IDEMIA, has reportedly refuted the governor's claims, suggesting that New Jersey agencies were responsible for the error. IDEMIA indicated that the registration of noncitizens ceased only after the MVC requested changes to certain settings in June 2024. The Republicans' letter also noted that the noncitizens were not removed from the voter rolls at that time, and the issue was not publicly disclosed until later.
This development has fueled Republican arguments for stricter federal election standards, particularly ahead of the upcoming November elections. The investigation seeks to ascertain how New Jersey vets its voter rolls for eligibility and whether there has been a lack of cooperation with the Department of Homeland Security in verifying voter citizenship status.
The House committees requested that New Jersey provide the requested documentation by August 17.